Sudan's vice-president dies in helicopter crash

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Sudan's vice-president and former rebel leader John Garang has
died in a helicopter crash, according to a statement from President
Omar al-Beshir read on state television today.

Earlier, Ugandan officials said all passengers and crew aboard a
Ugandan helicopter carrying Garang died in a crash near the Kenyan
border.

Garang, the head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement,
became vice-president only three weeks ago following a peace deal
that ended 21 years of civil war between north and south Sudan.

"The presidency has followed the reports about the disappearance
of the aircraft of Sudanese Vice-President John Garang and it is
confirmed beyond doubt that it crashed in the Amatonj mountains,"
the statement said.

"It resulted in the death of John Garang and six people
accompanying him as well as seven members of the crew of the
Ugandan presidential aircraft."

The Amatonj mountains are in the Eastern Equatorial province of
Sudan near the border with Uganda.